


Make Her Fall For You In A Fortnight

by Behemoth_King



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Emotionally Stunted Avatar, F/F, Height Differences, Kusanagi is neurodivergent to the Nth degree, Love Confession, No beta reader, Noncanonical avatar name, Single POV, Still a useless lesbian, Takes place before chapter 11, Unreliable Narrator, What happens after interrupting Frederick and Cordelia's S support conversation, first time drunk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 07:24:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20485082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Behemoth_King/pseuds/Behemoth_King
Summary: After the Exalt sacrifices herself to save her siblings and the shepherds, Kusanagi gets drunk and finds that her mouth is a bit looser. What follows is the best thing she could ever hope for.





	1. MHFFYIAFN - Confession

**Author's Note:**

> This was written a few years ago so the editing is really not up to par with my current works.

Both of them were drunk. Not heavily, but enough that they didn't think to keep their mouths shut. Kusanagi was concerned with the feelings she just realized she harbored, for her pegasus knight friend. Love was not her. She prided herself on not bothering with human emotions, save anger during those rare moments on the battlefield.

But, that was easy to forget when she was right across from her. No inhibitions, no filters, no fear. She gazed at this woman who made her feel so...much. She was beautiful. Her posture held strength and vigor, despite what they all went through. Her arms held experience and tenacity, Kusanagi knew that Plegia will fear her soon enough. But most of all, her face held that which she loved most. Honesty and loyalty.

Oh, how she wanted to close her eyes and run away. *But running away never solves anything. It just delays the inevitable.* She wondered what Cordelia saw when she looked at her. What kind of person did she see? An insane chess-player? A bloodthirsty soldier? Or a manipulative snake? Which one was it? And why were they friends? If she knew anything, it was that people like Cordelia didn't associate with her kind. But here she was and has been.

"Why are you always sad?"

The question startled her. Almost made her jump even.

"Huh?"

Cordelia was looking straight into her eyes, defying the alcohol in her system. "I asked, why are you always sad?" She was resting her chin on her hand inquisitively. Apparently it was a question that had been burning on her mind a long time.

She answered before she thought about it. "Because I am around you."  
Shitshitshit. But she didn't bother to try and rectify what she said. It would only make it worse. Instead, she scooted her chair closer and put her arms on the table. The proximity between them became smaller.

If Cordelia took offense, she didn't see it, which honestly scared her. "You aren't lying." Her voice was incredulous. "Good. I don't like people who lie." Wait what? What was her game here? Was their even a game being played? She is never drinking again, she swears to Naga.

"Are you ok?" Dumb question. Dumb dumb dumb. She just saw her closest thing to family and the last connection to her deceased knight sisters die because of her major fuck up.

Again, if there was offense, it wasn't shown. "No, and I don't think I will be ever again."

See what you did! You made her sad! FIX IT! Thinkthinkthink. "Why don't you blame me?" You call that FIXING IT!!!? She is dead. Which is what she deserves anyway. She deserved it more than Emmeryn and Phila.

Confusion crossed Cordelia's face. "Why would I blame you? You did your job, as well as you could. Just like we all did. But it wasn't enough." Kusanagi felt that last bit wasn't directed at her. Before she could say anything, Cordelia shot up out of her seat. "I'm sorry, I need to go."

"Ok, lets go." Kusanagi got up as well, her head spazzed from the sudden elevation change. She ignored it. She needed to do this. Cordelia needed her to do this, even though she doesn't know it yet.

Kusanagi started towards the taverns exit. Hearing the lack of a second pair of boots, she turned around. Cordelia had froze, staring at her. "You coming?" She snapped out of it. A small smile on her face. "Yeah."

\---

Walking back to their tents on the outskirts of this town they found, gave them both time to think. Again, Cordelia startled her with a question. "How do you do it?" But she thought this time. "Do what?"

"How do you hide it?"

"I don't—" "Why do you hide it?"

"What are you talking about!?" She didn't mean to shout but these questions were cutting her to pieces. *Surely she doesn't know...*

"I know you're in love with someone." *Crap* Her face grew warm. She started walking faster. Away from Cordelia. But she caught up easily with her longer legs. Short people problems. Her voice turned bubbly, the alcohol in her system was obviously askewing her priorities. "I won't lie, for a second, I figured it was Chrom. But I knew better." *Go faster, must go faster.* "So who is it?" Damn her loud mouth. "Oh is it Lon'qu? You two are very close...Wait no, that's too cliche. And I know you hate cliques." Faster dammit. "Naga help you if it's Frederick." She just stopped. "Hold on, is it h—"

"None of them could even hope to hold a candle to you!" She stopped, taking a deep breath, Kusanagi continued. Her voice was low and uneven, but the pegaus knight still heard her. "When I am around you, I feel pressured to do more than my best. Your mere presence brings me peace, despite the war surrounding us. Your smile helps my self-confidence. Even your scent calms me."

*beat*

"I realized all of this, when I saw Frederick with you in the tavern." Cordelia was silent, so she kept talking.

"I got so mad, angry even. I didn't know why, but then it hit me. It wasn't anger, it was jealousy. I was in love. It was painful. Is painful. It's not that that I've been hiding it. I just didn't even know it was there in the first place. I'm sorry."

Reality was hitting her like a ton of bricks. She couldn't feel herself breath and started running down the path again. A little ways further she spotted a tree. She heard the taller knight's boots behind her faintly. As she reached the tree so she could start her usual head bashing ritual, she felt warm arms wrap tight around her, keeping her away from its dense trunk.

She struggled to break free from Cordelia's very warm embrace. Struggled was a too rude a term, more like barely moving at all really. Cordelia held her very close. She had used her own weaknesses that were just revealed, against her. *Clever girl.* She just closed her eyes and dropped her arms to her side.

Cordelia still held on to her. "This explains a lot of things...like your tendency to hurt yourself." She could tell Cordelia was about to say something else about it, so she beat her to it.

"If you think it's your fault, it's not. Whenever I get embarrassed I feel so much emotion that I need to counteract it, else I explode with rage. Physical pain is the only thing that works." Her tone took a matter-of-fact vibe but it was also reassuring, calming herself down from a possible panic attack.

As much as she would love to stay in those arms, she needed to fully recollect herself. They were at the base of the tree, Cordelia's back was against it, with the tiny gay tactician in her lap. But she didn't allow her to move. "I am not going to hurt myself, so please let me go." As strong as she was, her will to move seemed to evaporate. Though Cordelia didn't give. "That's not why I am still holding on to you."

"Then why?"

"Because this is the first time I have seen you actually relaxed. Your breathing isn't regulated, nor have you fiddled with your hands." She was confused.

Cordelia's faced showed a hint of embarrassment. "I..uh, noticed that during mess once, and since then I have always seen it. Until now."

"..." She noticed? Oh no, not again. Cordelia seemed to know too. But she didn't prepare for her to NOT break away.

She finally returned her embrace and buried her face in her neck. What awaited her nose was remnants of hay and worn leather. Comforting.

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice was muffled, but she knew Cordelia heard her.

"Because, it would be terrible not to."

"You think I want pity?" She raised herself up to retort. Self preservation had a habit of turning her into a bitch.

"I didn't say pity, now did I?"

"Well what other way is there to take that? Mind you, everywhere else those words are used, the person means pity."

Cordelia just rolled her eyes. It was a wonder how she could survive her technical side. "I said terrible because...you are in the exact same position as me. Well, rather you were."

Kusanagi tilted her head. "Both of us yearn for someone in a nontraditional sense. I for *cough* a noble and you for me. But unlike me, you confessed. Unlike me, you have a chance."

Wait...what? What was she saying? A chance!? Huh?

"What kind of person could I be, to deny another who otherwise suffers the same fate as I?"

"Why—" "Because, out of everyone in the army, you are the only one who has nothing to look forward to. You have no home. Only a role. After all is said and done, what awaits you? Emptiness, darkness, loneliness. You deserve none of those things."

Cordelia held onto Kusanagi's branded hand and intertwined their fingers. Kusanagi felt strange. All this affection was causing another mood swing but not like before, not a bad one. It felt like something had to come out. Anything.

"I love you." For once she didn't want to smash her head in. For once, she felt secure.

Kusanagi finally sighed in relief, emotionally spent for the night. The confession combined with the somberness within the town the army currently occupied was too much for her to bare.

"In the future, I hope to say the same." Cordelia's voice was soft yet strong, and filled with conviction.


	2. MHFFYIAFN - Public Display of Affection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month of courting later and Kusanagi is still a god-tier anxiety riddled worrywart gay.

It was a slow start for the both of them. But Kusanagi felt it impertinent to assume or expect anything from Cordelia, and always waited for her to initiate any contact.

However times like these makes that impossible.

"Gaius, cover Chrom! Lon'qu, team up with....Kellam? Where the hell—argh hopefully you can hear me. You two draw them closer and pick them off." She barked orders at them, though guessing that the infamous knight was right next to her.

"Which leaves us to pick up the stragglers!" The sudden appearance of Cordelia's voice was her only warning, before she felt an arm around her stomach and was hauled on top of Boota.

"C-Cordelia! What are you doing here?" Her minded was now jumbled, which was dangerous during battle.

The pegasus had taken them both into the sky, her reins held only by one hand, the other was still tightly wrapped around her waist. "We were supposed to fly together today, and I'll be damned if these creatures ruin it." The knight's warm breath brushing over her ear in an annoyed growl, causing Kusanagi's face to get even warmer. "Let's go!" Cordelia left no room for any arguments, directing her steed towards a hulking Risen on top of a equally decayed Pegasus.

Eyeing the enemy helped Kusanagi regain her senses, and readied Thoron. The scraping of metal told her the knight had armed herself with one of the small javelins that were holstered to the pegasus's body armor. Cordelia had already let go of the reins, the pegasus well trained enough to guide herself.

Boota shot off the cliff face towards her redead counterpart. The sudden burst of speed made her instinctively stiffen, but quickly realized Cordelia never let go of her and kept her from spiking herself on the ground below.

Kusanagi swore she heard the woman laugh over the wind.

\---

"Not bad, Kusanagi. Quite a few trainees fall off at this stage. You successfully gripped Boota with your legs at the right spot and didn't even go for her mane!" These were the words that greeted her after the last Risen fell back into death.

Truth be told, the presence of the knight behind her made Kusanagi more worried than falling off the mount to her guaranteed death.

"...Did you use this battle as a training exercise?" The tactician asked with wide eyes. She never figured real battle would be the best way to learn basics. Especially for such a station that required skill and finesse from the start.

"Yes, and you did well. Better than Sumia when she was still in training. I believe that the best teacher isn't a person, but rather a situation." Cordelia smiled earnestly at her.

"I...cannot argue with that." Kusanagi mulled over the perspective Cordelia shared with her, and found it sound within the logic of the word's meanings to her.

"Really? I expected you to argue about putting you in potential danger." The knight sounded surprised at her response.

"Well, I would of done so, if I was in any actual danger."

"You were on a pegasus, 200 feet off the ground, and against a Risen knight with a spear. How were you not in danger?"

"I was with you." Kusanagi said in her usual matter of fact tone. The answer was obvious.

Cordelia's face quickly grew dark, and she made to respond before resigning her self to just stay quiet.

The reaction was strange to her, and wondered if what she said was the wrong thing to say. "What?"

The feel of warm lips on her own told her otherwise. Immediately she willed her body to stand down, letting Cordelia set the boundaries. She always lets her set the boundaries. It was safer that way.

Immediately Kusanagi felt a gauntleted hand tug at her coat, bringing her closer to the taller woman.

The action caused....something. Her upper chest and throat soon felt numb, but it didn't appear to bother Cordelia since she still held on to her tightly.

However they both needed air, especially after a battle, and so parted. The lack of Cordelia's physical presence stopped whatever....that thing was.

Kusanagi was in a mild daze, having never experienced or remembered experiencing such a chemical imbalance.

"...Oops?" The knight's amused laughter brought her out of it. Her face had gotten even darker, and Kusanagi's own was probably hot enough to melt ice.

She just stared at her in amazement, before realizing the other Shepherds were waiting on them.

\---

"Ok, now let her know you want to go up." Cordelia instructed her in the training section of the camp.

They had kept silent on the way back, feeling the men's stares all the way there. Well, except for Lon'qu's. He just huffed a "...finally" and concentrated on the road ahead.

Kusanagi was worried that the now public nature of their relationship would cause issues within the Shepherds. Mostly for Cordelia, since she isn't the one with blamable amnesia or responsible for the strategies that keep most of the army alive as an excuse for her continued weird behavior.

"Good! But remember, in battle it needs to be quicker, otherwise you're dead. Do it again and see if you can get her up a little faster."

Kusanagi was enjoying the lesson but the worry she felt overcame it and made it difficult to concentrate. She kept Boota grounded and had her trot over to Cordelia who now looked confused. "What's wrong? Are you tired?" Her voice was also filled with worry, just not about the right thing.

"No, I'm worried about you." She replied grimly.

"What about me? That Risen didn't get a hit in, thanks to you and your knowledge of lightning." Cordelia asked her quizzically.

"I meant about what happened after. Aren't you worried about what people will say about you? I may be fine with it directed at myself, but not towards you."

Cordelia kept staring at her with the same confused look. "I can look after myself."

Kusanagi stopped herself from sighing deeply, know it would result in her being painfully dismounted. "I don't want to assume that you're ok. From my readings, assumptions have resulted in the majority of deaths within written history."

"Well that was a leap!"

"Was it?" She raised her brow during her counter.

Cordelia looked at her for a moment before furrowing her own. "Get off." Her voice now holding what she would call a slight biting tone.

Her instincts began screaming at her, that she ruined things. But Kusanagi knew the possibility was high, and tried anyway. At least she got to kiss her once. That might be enough for her.

Solemnly, she dismounted Boota who proceeded to shake his neck to reorientate himself due to the lack of extra weight.

"Come here." The tone was now gone, but it still bothered Kusanagi.

Cordelia was probably gonna slap her now, and Kusanagi wouldn't blame her if she did. Hell, she probably deserved it.

She walked up to the strangely serene knight and prepared herself to greet the only outcome her mind gave her. But instead, Cordelia tugged at her coat again, making her now be flushed up against her.

The knight bent down to her ear and whispered, "I really don't like it when you're taller than me."

It made Kusanagi shudder for some reason, but not in a bad way. It was strange. At the very least, she didn’t mess anything up. Yet.

Cordelia cupped her face, now staring straight into her eyes, " I forget sometimes that you see things differently compared to us."

"But are you ok?" Kusanagi wanted to know that much at least.

An arm wrapped around her, bringing her closer still, a chuckle greeting her ear. "Let them stare." And for the second time that day, Kusanagi was content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I tagged this as Unreliable Narrator, I mean it to an almost annoying degree.
> 
> Not to mention that this fic’s layout works on never showing Cordelia’s pov because that’s not how relationships work irl and I wanted to do that in this fic because it seemed like a fun challenge to do. Might do a select few scenes from her pov in the future though.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna go ahead and post the other chapters I've had written for awhile.

She slept better that night than any one beforehand, but it still wasn't without it's problems.

Kusanagi dreamt of yet another strange dream, causing her to wake up in a cold sweat again.

Like the first one, it was of her and Cordelia, however the situation was different than before. But soon her memory of it faded, save for the feeling of despair it had given her.

Kusanagi took a deep breath, intent on focusing on her current objective, especially after the devastating failure of her last plan.

She quickly got dressed and ran out of her tent before her mind went any further.

\---

"Ah, Kusanagi. Good Morning!" Frederick greeted her after she came outside, his arms full of chopped wood.

"Morning. Is Chrom awake yet?" His nice tone was surprising. She figured his initial distrust would come back in full force after her plan at the plegian courtyard failed.

"Yes, but give him some time to fully wake up first. He still finds it hard to get up."

"Of course. I...truly cannot relate to the situation, but I know that Chrom, Lissa, and you suffer heavily." Kusanagi knew it wise to not just say sorry and expect everything to be ok.

"No, you can't. Cordelia mentioned that you blame yourself. Mentioned it a lot actually, but I don't see it. Then again, I may just be choosing not to see it. It wasn't your fault anyway, it was mine. I should of been with her..." The blue armored knight's arms started to the shake in anger and sadness. His usual tone she was used to was back in full force.

"It was mine. I should of accounted for the possibility of archers and an ambush. After all, it was a very obvious trap beforehand. A painful lesson that I will not repeat."

"Painful? What do you know of pain?" Frederick asked her, his voice quick.

"...Do you know your mother? Your father? Grandparents? If you have siblings? Your family name? If they are still alive? Because I don't." Kusanagi retorted calmly.

"I...forgive me, m'lady. I did not think." The chivalrous knight bowed his head down as well as he could with his burden of wood.

"There is nothing to forgive, Frederick. You asked honestly, and I answered honestly. We both will do our best to make sure that lesson will not repeat itself."

"Thank you." He nodded his head and continued his trek to the mess tent.

And so she walked the well memorized path to the war tent, passing by infantry and calvary soldiers.

As she reached the tent, she felt the back of head burning by some unknown force, twirling around to the that a group of soldiers were staring at her and whispering to one another, stopping horribly when she took notice.

She scoffed at them before entering.

\---

"So...you and Cordelia?" He spoke in amazement.

It was the single most awkward sentence Kusanagi had ever heard. And she is good friends with Virion. Then again, it was Chrom who said it.

She met his eyes, searching for any reason why the question was relevant to coming up with battle strategies.

"Er, not that I find issue with it! Just that uh...how did it happen?" Chrom scratched his head in embarrassment and bewilderment.

"...I have no clue."

"Come on, that isn't an answer! I thought she liked Frederick there for awhile. Always blushing when I saw them together."

Oh how she wanted to roll her eyes at that. Chrom would almost always be with Frederick during such times, moments like these being the rare exception.

"They're sparring buddies, actually." It wasn’t a lie.

"Please, tell me?"

"Why?"

"...Sumia really really wants to know, because Cordelia hasn't mentioned anything about you two during their conversations." The man scratched his head in embarrassment. His actions didn’t seem to fit current events, but Kusanagi figured that this distraction was harmless due to said events.

"Then I won't say anything either." She was glad Chrom told her that before she decided to give in. The less people knew about it, the better.

The prince was pouting now, but it soon turned into a determined grin. "I order you to tell me."

"We need to put a some infantry units here, to block off a potential escape route."

"Fine. You win today." Chrom’s eyes reverted to the sadness they’ve held all week.

\---

She felt a tug on her hood, aiming to pull her away from the table covered in the multitudes of maps she created by hand for potential backup plans when they go against Gangrel.

"Wha—Heeeeeeey...." Her voice started with a shout, the volume quickly lowering when she saw an annoyed pegasus knight.

"Do you realize how long you've been in here?"

"About 6 hours?" Kusanagi answered, the last time she went outside the sun was still over the trees by a bit.

"Try fourteen. It's past midnight and you never came to the mess tent like you told Chrom you'd do hours ago."

"...Oops?" Kusanagi halfheartedly chuckled, it evaporating quickly as well under Cordelia's piercing glare.

"You do realize you're killing yourself, right?" Her eyes softened now, and full of worry instead of anger.

"Not directly."

"Why?"

"Because, I mustn’t fail again."

"It isn't your fault they died, Kusanagi."

"...Then why doesn't that make me feel better?" She felt some strange force rise up in her, and didn't like the way it felt. Taking a deep breath she went back to the table, intent on doing only one thing she knew that quelled such forces.

But yet again, she was held back by Cordelia. The force kept rising up and up, and it began to scare her.

It kept building and building, until finally, her vision went dark.

\---

Kusanagi found herself being cradled on the floor, face wet, and with ragged breathing.

She still couldn't see, her eyes obscured by Cordelia's long hair. But she could hear and feel.

The woman was humming a soothing lullaby into her forehead.

"C-Cordelia?" Kusanagi croaked out, confused as to why her throat was so sore.

The humming didn't stop, so she placed her hand on what she hoped was her shoulder.

"Thank Naga you're awake. I wasn't sure if you were or if it was you sleep talking again." Cordelia spoke with relief as she pulling away.

"What...*cough* happened?" Kusanagi winced after she coughed, her throat dry.

"I thought you fainted at first. Then you started crying. I brought you back to your room before it got too bad.”

Readjusting to her regained sight, she noticed something was off.

"You haven't slept."

Cordelia shook her head. "You didn't need to be alone."

"...What do you mean?"

"I remember you telling me that while emotions are foreign to you, you can till feel them. You don't know how to handle their effects, much like child. Not that you are one, but I feel that is the most apt explanation."

"It does make sense, yes. But what did I do that made you look after me?"

"You're in mourning."

"..." Kusanagi stared blankly at the knight, wondering how that would result in her current situation.

"You started crying before you even collapsed. Libra said that was due to the stress of holding it in so long. It shocked a large part of the army, for the better I think."

"How long?"

"Almost a day."

Kusanagi did her best to quickly stand up, the thought of wasted work hours overriding the joy of Cordelia's company. "Dammit, I'm behind!" She instantly regretted it, head now swimming and her whole body sore.

"No you don't! You have been specially ordered by Chrom, Libra, and even the Khans to stay in bed today." The knight pulled her back down into her lap.

"And when have I actually listened to their orders? Besides, you probably need sleep more then me." Kusanagi huffed in annoyance, though secretly glad to be back in her warm arms.

"I'll only go to sleep when you do." Cordelia countered, causing Kusanagi to groan in defeat.

"Ok ok, I'll go to sleep." She left the comforting arms again, this time to crawl into the pitiful mass of cotton that is her mattress. She flopped on her stomach with another groan.

"Scoot over." She felt herself be pushed away from her beloved edge into the middle area of sunken hell.

"What are you doing?" Kusanagi just made herself stiff to keep herself from being moved.

"I won't trust you to go back to your books and maps after I leave for my own tent. Now scoot."

"Do you have any idea how terrible this will look?" The tactician deadpanned back.

"How is it terrible? Sumia and I have done it many times, recently even." The ever illustrious knight just smiled sweetly at her.

"...If you insist." Again, she resigned herself to defeat.

\---

Kusanagi was faced away from her, looking towards the wall made by the tent's light brown canvas.

She studied and memorized the strands and threads visible, every so often being home to a harmless bug or two.

Over and over and over.

Another deep breath passed by her ear, breaking her concentration.

The warm presence of Cordelia's body behind her made it impossible to sleep.

At first they were facing away from each other and Kusanagi almost did fall asleep.

But within what felt like a half hour, the pegasus knight had already entered a heavy sleep and decided to spoon up against her, tightly wrapping an arm around her waist. Her mouth was also close, feeling and hearing every breath she took.

Kusanagi was actually very comfortable, but the closeness was still very...unsettling. She still didn't want to assume anything. Not to mention, she didn't know how closeness was supposed to feel like.

Regardless, her face stayed warm all the way into the morning.

\---

Kusanagi blinked her eyes, fighting against the grogginess that begged her to go back to sleep. But what greeted her was the presence of something on her chest, having changed to laying on her back at some point.

The weight shifted a bit, and finally her eyes were awake enough to see Cordelia's face looking back at her.

"Morning." The woman smiled softly, body draped over her own.

"Morning." Kusanagi returned the greeting, unsure what the protocol was now. But she was relieved that the small bags under Cordelia's eyes had vanished. "You look better."

"So do you." The woman said, before snuggling into the crux of Kusanagi's shoulder, obviously still tired.

"I hope I was a comfortable pillow." The words tumbled out of her without thinking. Humor was unlike her, but it felt good to say, appropriate even.

"The best." Cordelia sighed happily in contentment, still curled up around Kusanagi's shorter frame.

"Why did you sleep in here?" The tactician asked.

"I already told you, if I didn't you would of probably went back to work." Cordelia poked her in the cheek in a mocking way.

"You could of had Lon'qu keep me here, he has no qualms about smacking me upside the head when I do something dumb. So, tell me the real reason." 

"Am I not allowed to worry about you?"

Kusanagi didn't answer her question. "Why do you though?”

Cordelia quickly rose up and straddled her body not unlike how she does Boota. “Kusanagi, I want you to listen very carefully to what I say next.”

Kusanagi nodded once, curious. The woman then bent her head down, arms also now on both sides of it. Their noses were barely touching which caused Kusanagi to gulp for some unexplainable reason. She forced herself to look into Cordelia’s eyes and soon felt relaxation take hold of her.

“Because I care about you.”


	4. Chapter 4

"I better leave before Sumia gets overly curious." Cordelia sighed, finally sitting up. Kusanagi saw that the knight's gaze washed over her tent's interior, curiosity having took hold.

"Chrom was begging me for information yesterday morning. I said nothing." Kusanagi didn't choose to rise, instead seeking more hours of sleep to avail her condition. She didn't miss the subtle breath Cordelia took at the sound of the prince's name, making her want to bit her lip.

"What did he say?" Kusanagi felt an unnatural pause before the question was asked.

"He didn't have issue with it and thought you liked Frederick. I...don’t envy his lack of awareness." Kusanagi spoke as well as she could without grimacing.

The thought of Cordelia with Frederick...ugh. Despite how both are devoted to Chrom, she just knew it would be a truly shallow relationship. She felt that Frederick needed someone who has no ties to Chrom at all, otherwise his life would most likely stagnant.

As for Cordelia and personal feelings aside, she felt either Vaike or Donnel could do well, their unconventional quality paired with her discipline allowing for a fresh outlook on life for both of them.

"Hey!" Cordelia's voice was instantly followed by a sharp jab to her stomach, causing her to grunt in pain.

"What was that for?" Kusanagi groaned, rubbing the jabbed area.

"Vaike or Donnel?"

Ooooh boy. Oh boy oh boy oh boy.

"Actually, Lon'qu would be a better match, because of stability, but I happen to know that he adores Olivia *cough* er..." What was that phrase Lissa used a month ago? Digging one’s own grave.

"Kusanagi. I want you to think very hard on what your next words are." The eerily calm tone Cordelia used, made her shudder again.

"I do these pair-ups to either pass the time during marches or as a brain exercise between chess matches. Sometimes they are recreated in battle, either by me or by fate."

Her gut told her Cordelia didn't like her words, but it was all she could do to explain herself.

"And what of yourself? Personal feeling aside." The knights response was delivered not as cooly as her previous ones were.

"I would stay unattached, like I am now." How else would she be? Especially after her spectacular failure that was the Exalt's death.

"You aren’t the only one with a lack of awareness." The knight shook her head and swiftly let herself out if the tent.

Kusanagi sighed as she watched her do so. It's pointless for her to continue living in this dream. But as she tried to turn over and fall back asleep, Kusanagi just felt a strange void in her chest which just seemed to expand the more she dwelled on it.

\---

"Do you want to wait until you are better rested, my lady?" Virion asked for the umpteenth time during their match, voice filled with concern.

She was having a hard time choosing which piece to move. Her Queen was already out and about, though she preferred to make the two Knight's her piece-takers. Virion had his two Bishops

She groaned at the thought of knights.

"My dear, I recognize that look. I did not think the rumors true, due to them being rumors. Having a lovers-quarrel with your dear Cordelia?" Virion spoke kindly and with even more concern.

"She isn't mine." How she hated that line of thought. Thought she kept most of her malice out, since his intentions were pure.

"She certainly won't be with you stuck in here! Now, tell me about what happened. I promise it will not be shared to others." He quickly started plucking the pieces off the board and put them away. Kusanagi didn’t bother protesting.

"I do not believe it is fixable." She groaned again.

"Nonsense! Now then, what did you say that made our illustrious knight storm off?" The Roxanne noble smiled and leaned towards her over the table.

"I accidentally voiced my thoughts while in her presence." She began fidgeting in her seat, the memory of it making her want to crawl into a dark hole and die.

"And what kind of thoughts were they?"

"We were on the topic of what Chrom said to me in the war tent before I blacked out. I told Cordelia that he thought she liked Frederick. Being a tactician I couldn't help but think of how it would play out. Then it went on to who would actually be better for her than Frederick." 

"And you thought of yourself?" Virion smile turned into a grin.

"No, I figured Vaike or Donnel would be best...out loud apparently."

Virion's grin disappeared and he groaned into his hand, but motioned for her to continue.

"She let me know what I did and in trying to make it better, I made it worse, by mentioning that Lon'qu would be better than either of the two due to his personality. But he isn't available due to his feelings for someone else."

Now Virion was shaking his head. Again, he motioned her on.

"Naturally, she warned me to chose my next words carefully. To which I responded with my explanation for such thoughts. I've told you about them before, haven't I?" Kusanagi found speaking about this to the effeminate man was oddly relieving.

"Ah yes, an interesting brain exercise. What was her response?"

"She asked who I would pair myself up with, personal feelings aside. I had said the same when I mentioned Vaike and Donnel."

"And?"

"I said I would be unattached, as I am now."

"...You do realize that you are attached to her, yes?"

"It was my understanding that our relationship was just a trial. My feelings were not reciprocated, and she let me have a chance to change that." The urge to bash her head against the oak table was steadily growing with each question and answer. Looking back, she agreed that her answer should of been herself. But a strange feeling had gnawed at her to say otherwise

Virion's eyes didn't judge her, which she was grateful for. He took a moment to think, to make sure he could understand everything.

"Do you truly love her?" He asked, wanting confirmation, not a relevation.

"Yes." It was the easiest answer of the day.

"Respect her?" 

"Yes." Kusanagi was always enchanted by her in the sparring yard with Frederick. The way her thinner frame seemed to stand even straighter when faced up against a even taller and armored foe. Defiance eluded from her, in honor of her fallen sisters. Kusanagi found it beautiful.

"Would you die for her?" His face was one of seriousness.

"...no." Kusanagi had taken a second to think on it. Just a second.

"Now see here Ku—" Virion had made to stand up, but only because he knew not her reasoning.

"Because I would kill those who seek to do her harm. I would kill so that she would not have to, so that her soul would remain pure, while mine would grow forever darker. I would kill, if she asked it of me." Her voice went into a monologue and out of her control, dripping with fear-inducing determination. When she regained herself, she waited for Virion to call her what the soldiers do on a daily basis. She doesn't blame them, as they are most likely correct. The words she spoke were true, but they came from a place she knew nothing of.

Instead of fear, the man started laughing, "...I could learn a thing or two from you! Now go to Cordelia and apologize."

She blinked once. Twice. Thrice. "That won't make anything better!"

"It's not supposed to." He winked at her, smiling wide all the while.

Kusanagi glared at him, lips twitching upwards in annoyance. She quickly raised up to leave, keeping her eyes towards the ground lest she deck someone in the fa—

She felt her face crash into the cold feel of metal, the shape of metal of which she happened to be very familiar with.

"If I am destined to die, I would of preferred it to happen yesterday." Kusanagi groaned out, covering her face with her hand, not out of pain but due to her embarrassment.

"I'll...just see myself out." Virion's drifted as he made his way out of the tent, which was mixed in with a hint of amusement.

An uncomfortable silence fell between her and Cordelia. Kusanagi was unsure whether an apology was even worth saying since the knight had apparently heard their whole conversation.

The ground was also very interesting in the tent, a unbroken patch of brown with a richness inside that made it solid, which was why they chose this spot for their camp.

It was a lot better than the ones in Ferox, the ground there constantly broken by snow and ice, making camps a bit of a gamble. Especially for mounted soldiers.

Oh yeah, Cordelia was standing in front of her.

Oops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Being brainwashed by a evil dragon does a lot of things to your head, yeah?


	5. Chapter 5

Kusanagi looked up and was about to apologize to the pegasus knight, but she was too slow.

"You say that you love me, so why do you push me away?" Cordelia sounded sad as she spoke and her eyes looked different too...oh hell.

"I..I.." She didn't know what to say, her mind flooded with the numerous and decimal varied reasons that instantly came to her. But looking at the knight's face, seemed to make them all fade away. "...I don't deserve you." She then looked back to the ground, suddenly feeling vulnerable and open.

A gauntlet covered hand cupped her cheek, before moving underneath her chin, making her look back up into their owner's eyes. "That's for me to decide." Another hand pushed her closer into Cordelia's space, gently stroking her back through her shirt, having slipped underneath her coat.

"I'm sorry." Kusanagi said it not because of Virion's words, but due to her own. The hand under her chin didn't move at all while it's owner did, Cordelia slowly got closer and closer to her face.

Kusanagi saw that she was focusing on something but didn't know what, herself unable to really look at anything other than the woman—no this goddess before her, hand under her jaw notwithstanding.

It was small at first, their lips barely touching, but Kusanagi couldn't stop herself from licking her lips from the anxiety. A strange familiarity then came over her, quickly calming her down.

Cordelia must of read the motion for her to continue on, not that she minded. But it was deeper than the two before, way deeper. The hand fell away from her chin, joining the other which was still holding her close.

She had to respond somehow, to show her own feelings to this woman that felt it pertinent to give her a heart attack in one fell swoop.

Kusanagi poked her tongue out, tentatively drawing it against the other's lips, enjoying the feel of the arms around her tightening again.

But instead of asking for permission, she nipped at Cordelia's bottom lip, the force strong enough to make her gasp but too weak to break the skin. 

Timing her strike well, she dared to venture inside, delighted in how warm it was. By the time Cordelia recovered from the bite it was too late, but instead used her tongue in a counter attack towards her own.

The feeling in her chest came back, this time her whole body seemed to be numb from the sensation, though that didn't impede her assault.

Cordelia broke away first, but didn't go far, resting her head against her own. Kusanagi could feel every breath she took, despite the strange sensation not disappearing like before.

She already wanted to kiss her again, but instead she settled for something just as good. "I love you."

The knight chuckled, "I love you too."

Kusanagi froze herself in place, not believing the words she thought she heard. "Did you just—" Leather covered fingers silenced her lips, to which she obliged due to still being in shock.

"Let's give Virion his tent back, then we can talk."

Wordlessly, she nodded and was subsequently pulled towards the entrance. People and objects blurred as they walked, not even able to find out where they were going.

\---

The comforting smell of hay and fresh oats greeted her nose as they passed the gate leading into the makeshift paddock that held the army's mounts.

There was only a few pegasi held within, most of their numbers having been killed alongside their riders on the western border. Having read head-counts all day yesterday, she knew there should only be two of them, not three.

Kusanagi saw a stranger next to Boota, a beast colored black and a hand higher than the saddled white mare next to it. It was adorned with a saddle she had seen on the battlefield many times. Mostly on fallen plegian mounts that were just one of many kinds of casualties that happened during the war.

"I was going to surprise you yesterday...but you decided to be difficult." Cordelia spoke as she approached the pegasi, causing an excited whiny from Boota.

"Where did you get...this?" She gestured to the imposing creature, unable to break her gaze from it.

"A small patrol found a plegian rider and her mount, both terribly wounded. The soldiers had finished her off and captured this poor thing." Cordelia gently stroked the black pegasus's neck, causing it to softly neigh and move it's head closer to her.

"I don't remember reading that report. And I know Chrom wouldn't of been pleased."

"That's because it happened while you were out of commission. They were hanged yesterday." The knight voice holding a hint of anger.

"Good. Though why is it's coat so dark?"

"Well from what I remember from Philia's lessons, plegian mounts are very different from ours. Not because of being a different breed all-together but due to magic. They take a regular pegasus and imbue it with a enchantment of some kind, which is why they are colored black among other things." The knight didn't seem too concerned about it, never stopping her affectionate petting on the beast's neck, who throughly enjoyed it.

"Ok. So then, how do...they feel about this?" She was worried how they felt about their previous rider being killed before them, and now being expected to have her ride them.

A muzzle then plopped itself on her shoulder, getting her coat wet from the drops of water than clinged to the chin. "Boota..." Kusanagi drawled in annoyance, reaching behind her to pet the jealous pegasus's cheek.

"Boota has been looking after her for me. It's only been two days but I think they've made some progress." Cordelia had smiled at her mount's antics, before heaving herself up on the plegian pegasus. "But treating her with kindness will go a long way."

"Weren't we going to talk?" Kusanagi asked confused, though finding the visual of Cordelia on the intimidating creature very fitting for some reason.

"What did you think I was doing before I grabbed you from Virion's tent?" A simple movement from Cordelia's foot, and she was airborne. The black wings that unfurled were proportionately as big as the beast.

She scrambled onto Boota's back, mimicking the knight's physical command, taking to the air as well.

\---

The wind howled softly as they flew, Kusanagi unable to keep her eyes on one static thing due to the thrill of being aerial. The camp got smaller, but didn't disappear, thought the view of the woods surrounding it made it difficult to see.

Thankfully Boota knew to follow her mistress and was able to keep up with the magically enhanced pegasus, the two flying side by side.


	6. Chapter 6

Her face began to hurt while the warmth of the noontime sun was beating down on her, and Boota's feathers were ruffled by the unseen air currents.

She felt so free, away from the ground. But soon they approached the shackling summit of a nearby cliff, overlooking the clearing that signaled the location of the Ylissean/Feroxi army. The sharp tone of metal shoes against wind sheared rock signaled their landing.

Boota shook her body, refreshing her muscles from their flight, but quickly turned to Kusanagi and stuck her nose into her coat.

"Haha, hold on girl! Don't bite holes in my clothes, they're all I got!" She tried to push against the inquisitive muzzle, while at the same time trying to grab the treat which was the reason for Boota's nosiness.

No matter what, she still made sure to have an apple or two for the unruly winged equine. Finally grabbing the crisp fruit in her pocket, she only held it out for a second before it disappeared in the pegasus's mouth.

"You spoil her." Cordelia's voice drifted from behind her, a reminder of why they were here.

"Do you want me to stop?" Concern coated her tongue now. Truthfully, she did not consider the possible consequences of how she doted on the mare. Normally, such forgetfulness is beneath her but Boota was a unique creature, just like her rider.

"Oh gods no. She'd probably never let me ride her again if you stopped." She smiled at them, the black...one's reins still in her hand. At her words, Boota snorted in a way that suggested her agreement. "I've never seen you smile so much before either."

\---

Kusanagi dangled her feet off the edge of the sharp cliff, nonchalantly leaning back to bask in the sun's rays, feeling somewhat rejuvenated by the star's energy.

"Do you remember the teasing I endured during training? I find that it is not unlike how the commanders and some of the other Shepherds treat you." Cordelia started first while sitting directly behind her, and was doing something to her hair.

"I can see the similarities." She only wanted to acknowledge that she understood what was said, so that she could continue on with her piece.

"Just like me, you're considered a genius. But unlike me, you let it define you, without letting the qualities that are unique to yourself be able to shine past it. You always push yourself to meet others expectations of you."

Kusanagi only nodded, grimly. She could hear the knight shift behind her.

"They have defined your mannerisms and morality." Her calm voice was slowly turning into anger. But Kusanagi still only nodded.

"Even before we tried to save the Exalt, they had it defined. I heard it every day, every regiment, every unit. *sharp inhale* The vileness they spewed about you..." Cordelia was close to growling now, and was grasping at her torso, intent on hauling her into her lap. "Most didn't even know your bloody name."

"Cordelia..." She tried to turn around to face the now very emotional woman. Stronger arms stopped her from succeeding, and she was enveloped by her yet again.

"I'm tired of you being treated like a monster. Especially by yourself." Her face was now buried in her neck from behind, so she grabbed the hands in front of her with her own, squeezing them in comfort. Thankfully, most of Cordelia's armor was not being worn, having been taken off after they landed.

"If I have to take a hands on approach in order for you to see reason, just as I have done with some of the troops, then by Naga I will." Cordelia's words lacked humor.

"You've hit some of our soldiers?" Fear crept into her mind, overshadowing the thoughts of her missing the point.

"I just hoisted them in the air. But some actually tried to fight me. Emphasis on tried." She felt the knight shake her head.

"I don't recall Chrom bringing this up to me either." The thought of all the possible missing information made her stomach squirm a bit. It couldn't be helped in most cases, but it could save a life or two.

"That's because I am Sumia's best friend and your paramour." There was a slight hesitation before the last word was said. It didn't bother her though. There was always that angle to lean on in these types of situations, but it will soon become uncomfortable for the both of them.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"I refuse to stand idly by while ignorant fools spread lies about you."

"What if they're right? I don't even know who I am, thanks to my amnesia. I could have been a murderer for all we know!" It bothered her daily, the lack of memories. Her recent venting to Frederick made it all the more painful. She felt a warm sigh on her neck.

"If you aren't now, you weren't then."

"I wish I shared your view, but...we're going off topic." Social niceties were not her thing. The bottom of her stomach then felt like it dropped at the memory of Cordelia's words in Virion's tent. Suddenly she was engulfed in this feeling, but the precipice in front and arms around her made it impossible to run away.

"I wish you saw yourself like I do." 

“How do you see me?” Kusanagi asked, afraid of the answer she might receive.

“Kusanagi...you’re amazing.” Cordelia’s voice was incredulous, a hint of awe in her tone. “In battle alone, you’ve picked up on so many different styles of fighting that makes even me envious.”

That gave her pause.

“Just by watching someone in battle or in the training yards, you easily learn. Frederick saw you practicing that move Chrom did as well as Marth in the Feroxi arena, and that you executed it flawlessly after only two previous attempts.”

“Visual demonstrations are great to show how things should work, so I don’t see how that’s so great a feat. Any one of us could pull it off if they tried it.” The praise made her feel slimy. She had mostly tried it out to see if it was combat viable, but found the energy required to pull it off wasn’t worth the trouble.

“Kusanagi, it took Chrom years of practice to learn it.”

The repulsion kept growing in her mind. There was no way any of this mattered. Battle skills were one thing, not everything.

“So I know multiple ways to hurt people. Are you sure I wasn’t a murderer?” She felt like a starving dog, chained up and snarling at the only person willing to feed her. Irrational, but was out of protection. However it was not for herself, but for Cordelia.

“*sigh* I am.” The knight grabbed her hands, splaying them out and upward. “Look at your hands.”

She looked down, but their position was impossible for Cordelia to know she was doing as instructed.

“When I see these hands, I see no hint of malice, terror, or hatred. Even your brand is as innocent to me as a common mole. You may possess it, but it does not possess you.”

“I-“

“Ever since they found you in the fields, you’ve done nothing but help others, even at cost to yourself despite your claims to the contrary.” Her words were firmer than steel, and yet it was only Kusanagi who could find something in them at fault.

“Only to prove that I am not a plegian spy, since my skin alone seemingly betrays any other intentions I could have.” 

“Ah, I had honestly forgotten about that...” Cordelia trailed off in thought, her words sounding unrelated to the discussion at hand.

This change in demeanor puzzled her greatly, so Kusanagi decided to press a bit. “Forgotten about what?”

The knight flinched slightly. “I apologize. Your skin does openly invite more hostility compared to my own, despite also being plegian. Miriel doesn’t really count to most nationalists as her parents were born in Ylisse before the war started, though I know she still has her fair share of issues.”

Kusanagi widened her eyes at the information. “You’re plegian?” She asked incredulously.

“Half, on my mother’s side. My father was a soldier in the ylissian army, and he apparently met my mother after a battle, both injured. They were just tired of fighting and so they ran, deserting both of their positions. It wasn’t until after the war that they were discovered. They had killed my mother on the spot and my father was charged with treason and desertion, and was beheaded shortly after. The leader of the group was Sumia’s father and a friend of his. So he had allowed my father to say his last rites and requests. He had asked him to take me in, to spare me from death. And so here I am.” Kusanagi could hear Cordelia's voice tremble.

“That explains some things.” Kusanagi didn’t really know what to say. She felt numb, a hollow feeling in her chest that threatened to envelop her. “No wonder you train and work so hard.”

“Among other reasons. It’s a good outlet for anger, of which I sadly have plenty.”

The sun had gone down now. The soft fading glow on the horizon was the only indication of the sun’s current position.

“Does Sumia know?”

“Yes, she didn’t take it well and refused to speak to him afterwards, even on his deathbed. She has gone further than necessary to try and remedy his actions in the past. I finally got her to stop it a few years ago.”

“I’m relieved. It’s good for information to be known to the individuals involved.”

Cordelia hummed in response, loosening her arms around Kusanagi and leaned backwards on her palms. Kusanagi rolled off her lap and laid beside her, mimicking her position. 

Together they watched the last rays of sunlight vanish below the horizon, marking where the Ylissian border gave way to Plegia.

The Mad-King's fall was fast approaching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hc that Cordelia and Miriel having Dark Mage = they're part plegian.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact, the characterization of my avatar helped me realize I might have ADHD(now officially diagnosed). Grima's failed brainwashing did more than delete her current memory though. A whole lot more.


End file.
